A section heading such as that proposed by Good News Bible (“Ruth finds a Husband”) is culturally very inappropriate. Unless she is someone of loose morals, a woman does not go out to “find a husband” (or “man,” the word is the same in both Chichewa/Chitonga). Rather, it is his task to find her. It would be contrary to custom for a woman to arrange a marriage for her daughter. That is the job of the clan representative, as pointed out above, a male in any case, and the initiative in the proceedings must be taken by the suitor. However, where a remarriage is concerned, especially in the case of a son who has died, a woman’s involvement would not be uncommon, since the person to “succeed” to the place of the deceased would have to come from her family line. In such a situation she would not actually go out herself to “find” a husband (RSV, Good News Bible), but she would be in charge of the formal arrangements aimed at establishing the widow once again “in a family” (Chichewa). Furthermore, a woman would never suggest that her daughter-in-law herself take steps to “engage” a man, as Naomi now advised Ruth to do. Under such circumstances among the Chewa and certain other Central African peoples, a wife would be justified in taking her mother-in-law to (the traditional) court for meddling in her marital affairs.

Source: Wendland 1987, p. 177.